Former Russo aide Samir Mohammad sentenced to prison

AKRON -- Samir Mohammad, the former aide/deputy to former Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo, has been sentenced to prison for 46 months.

Mohammad, 46, of Cleveland, struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors in October and cooperated with federal prosecutors in the ongoing Cuyahoga County corruption probe.

His attorney Joe Dubyak said that the agreement had Mohammad pleading guilty to all counts and he will be sentenced to 46 months in prison.

Mohammad was accused of paying a $20,000 bribe in October 2003 to entertain former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and a group of his friends at a casino in Windsor, Ontario.

Mohammad was also charged with bribing Dimora, Russo and other public officials in exchange for jobs and favorable personnel decisions, according to the original indictment.

Court records show Mohammad is required to forfeit $50,000 in restitution. Records also show he was not immediately taken ino custody but will self-report to a federal prison in Pennsylvania at a future date.

Russo is at the Loretto Federal Correctional Facility in Loretto, Pennyslvania, but Mohammad will not be sent to Loretto.